Understory and brush management apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A brush management system that includes a feller-buncher-cutter for cutting brush and moving cut material, and a chipper for receiving the b&#39;s rush material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments described herein relate to a understory and brushmanagement apparatus and a method for the same. The inventions can beused to clear woods of undesired trees and immediately chip the treesafter removing or cutting them.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some hobby farmers, municipalities and other private landowners haveforests or forested parts of land. Many times, it is desired to cuttrails through these forested parts of land. At other times, it isnecessary to selectively remove smaller trees and brush from theunderstory. Generally, smaller unmarketable trees are removed so thatthe more marketable trees can more freely grow. In other instances,non-native species, such as buckthorn, are overtaking a native forest.Such a species is bothersome as a walk in the woods is less enjoyabledue to the density of the nonnative species and the fact that they mayhave undesirable features, such as thorns.

There are ways to remove or manage an understory. However, current waysseem to have disadvantages. For example, state parks and municipalitiescommonly organize work parties to remove or manage the understory. Muchof the work is done by hand. This is inefficient as the process is notmechanized. For the individual landowner who is unable to assemble aband of volunteers, managing the understory is nearly impossible. Oneperson or one family can barely keep up with a woods of any size.

There are machines that can remove parts of the forest. However, thesemachines are large and also tend to be expensive. In many instances,these machines are unable to maneuver around marketable trees. In someinstances, the machines are able to move around marketable trees but itis done so with much effort. In still other instances, having largemachines do these tasks on smaller plots of land and smaller forests isinefficient and are ecologically unfriendly. The large machines arespecialized and so in order to do the job, the forest must be traveledby several machines. Each heavy machine disrupts the forest floor to cutthe understory and then to haul it out and process it further. The heavymachinery does not minimally disrupt the forest floor. It is also noteconomical to move heavy machinery in to do a “small job” as there arehigh costs associated with transporting the machinery to the job sitefor a short time.

Another problem is that large forest fires are a rapidly increasingproblem in the Western United States and Canada, and millions of dollarsare being spent to control them. The effort is limited by availablefunds. However when fires break out, billions of dollars are spent on anemergency basis, extinguishing them and repairing the damage.

Treating forests to reduce the strength and number of fires is anongoing activity, however, according to the USDA Forest Service,“Treatment costs are increased by a need to treat large numbers oflow-volume stems less than 4 inches in diameter. Gross costs can rangefrom $35 to over $1000 per acre depending on type of operation, terrain,and the number of trees treated . . . . While 86% of the trees thatwould be cut are less than 10 inches, most of the volume that would betreated comes from the 14% of the trees that are larger than 10 inchesin diameter. This is the central dilemma of fuel reductiontreatments—large numbers of small diameter trees with relatively littlevolume that can be feasibly utilized must be treated.” The presentlyavailable equipment used to carry out this work was designed forconventional timber harvesting and is not particularly appropriate forreduction of smaller brush and trees of the understory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A brush management system that includes a feller-buncher-cutter forcutting brush and moving cut material, and a chipper for receiving thebrush material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a small understory brush managementsystem, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a collector or slip ring 200 accordingto an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a small understory brush managementsystem after cutting a portion of the underbrush and securing the cutbrush with the accumulator, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a small understory brush management systemafter cutting a portion of the underbrush and feeding it to a shredder,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the understory and brush managementsystem, according to an example embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following paper, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the concepts underlying thedescribed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled inthe art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some orall of these specific details. In other instances, well known processsteps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the underlying concepts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a small understory brush management system100, according to an embodiment of the invention. The understory brushmanagement system 100 includes a mini excavator base 110. The miniexcavator base 110 has a tracked chassis 112 for low pressure, lowenvironmental impact travel through a forest. A cab 114 is rotatablymounted to the mini excavator base 110. In one embodiment the 114 iscapable of 360° rotation with substantially zero overhang. Thisminimizes the impact on a forest. The 360° rotation of the cab 114 overthe mini excavator base 110 also minimizes the possibility that the cabwill impact or scrape on larger, marketable trees. Attached to the miniexcavator base 110 is an articulated knuckle boom 120 that ishydraulically controlled and is capable of carrying and manipulating ofan attachment at its free end. The knuckle boom 120 includes anelongated arm 122 which can be raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram124. The knuckle boom 120 also includes an arm 126 which is controlledby hydraulic ram 128. The hydraulic rams 124 and 128 are controlled fromwithin the cab 114. Specifically, the controls sit in front of theoperator when the operator is in a seat within the cab 114. The arm 126also includes telescoping portion.

Attached to the mini excavator base 110 is a chipper 140. The chipper140 receives brush cut from an understory of the forest or from othersources and converts them to chipped material, such as wood chips.Attached to the arm 126 is a feller-buncher-cutter 300. The fellerbunter cutter 300 gathers small trees and other brush into a bunch andcuts the bunch off. The feller-buncher-cutter also includes arms 320 anda carriage 330. The arm 126 includes a telescoping portion. Thetelescoping portion of the arm 126 elongates the arm so that thefeller-buncher-cutter 300 can reach the chipper or get close to thechipper 140.

The chipper 140 operates from within the cab 114. The cab 114 isrotatably attached to the mini excavator base 110 by way of a turntable150. The turntable also includes a collector 200. FIG. 2 is aperspective view of a collector or slip ring 200 according to an exampleembodiment. The collector or slip ring 200 is mounted at the base of themast of the excavator chassis turntable 150. The collector or slip ring200 allows power to be passed between the source of power and the cab114. The slip ring 200 also carries control signals to the chipper 140and the motors driving the hydraulic rams 124, 128. Control signals arealso sent to the feller cutter buncher 300 to control the actions ofthat device attached at the end of arm 126.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of a feller-buncher-cutter 300attached to the arm 126 of the brush management system 100. TheFeller-buncher-cutter 300 is used to fell, or cut down, a number oftrees and then to bunch the trees together for transport to the chipper140 or to a transport. If the trees and brush are delivered to thechipper 140, the chipper chips the felled trees and then spreads thechips on the forest floor. The chips act as a mulch to keep the smalltrees from becoming larger or to at least slow the process. If the treesand brush are to be removed, the bunched trees are then transported to astorage site for further processing. In some embodiments the bunchedtrees are delivered to a transport.

The feller-buncher cutters 300 are articulated machines that include afront frame 310 and a rear frame 320 that are pivotally coupled by ahitch 315. The hitch 315 allows the front frame 310 to pivot relative tothe rear frame 320 so as to steer the felle-buncher-cutter 300. Thefront frame 310 includes a front axle 311 having a pair of wheels 312mounted thereon.

The feller-buncher-cutter 300 further includes a work tool 330 that cutsdown trees and secures the cut trees to the feller-buncher-cutter 300.The work tool 330 is mounted on a yoke that is pivotally attached to thefront frame of the fell-buncher-cutter 300. The yoke can be raised orlowered relative to front frame 310 in order to position the work toolduring operation. The work tool 330 includes a rotating saw 332 which isused to cut down trees. In addition, the work tool 330 has a number ofhydraulically powered work arms 350, 352 which are used to secure thetrees within the work tool 330 after the trees have been cut down. Thearms 350 are the accumulator arms and they arms 352 are the gatheringarms which gather the cut trees.

The feller-buncher-cutter 300 and further includes a tilt cylinder whichis operable to pivot the work tool 330 relative to the yoke. To unloadthe trees from the work tool 330, the work tool 330 is tilted forwardrelative to the yoke and the work arms 350, 352 release the trees fromthe work tool 330. In one embodiment, the feller-buncher-cutter 300includes an extension member used to move the felled trees into thechipper 140.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the brush management system 100 afterit has felled a plurality of trees and moved the felled trees into aposition where the trees can be inserted into the chipper 140, accordingto an example embodiment. As shown, the arm 122 is essentially verticaland the arm 126 is making a sharp angle with respect to the arm 122 sothat the trees and brush in the feller-Buncher-cutter 300 are positionedproximate the chipper 140. In some embodiments, the arm 126 istelescoping so that the feller-buncher-cutter 300 will reach the chipper140. In another embodiment the frame of the feller-buncher-cutter 300includes a telescoping complement so that the felled trees can be placedproximate or in the chipper 140.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the understory and brush managementsystem 100, according to an example embodiment. The understory and brushmanagement system 100 includes a feller-buncher-cutter 300 and a chipper140. The feller-buncher-cutter 300 is located on the end of the boom andarm 500 of the understory and brush management system 100. Thefeller-buncher-cutter 300 is controlled by an operator that sits in thecontrol box 510 of the understory and brush management system 100. Thefeller-buncher-cutter 300 is located near the chipper 140. Thefeller-buncher-cutter 300 can be used to cut trees and brush and movethe trees and brush right into the chipper 140. The input for thechipper 140 is locate proximate the chipper 140. The chipper 140 chipsthe trees and brush and discharges the chips direct to the ground. Inanother embodiment, the chipper discharges chips into a containerassociated with the understory and brush management system 100. As shownthe understory and brush management system 100 is small and lightweightand physical size so that it is very maneuverable. The maneuverabilityallows movement among the mature trees while minimizing damage topotentially marketable trees. The lightweight and small understory andbrush management system 100 cause as much less damage to the forestfloor and it is therefore more eco-friendly. The brush management system100 allows one person to facilitate several previously manualoperations, and operate in process a large amount of material in a giventime from within the cab or control center 510 of the system 100. Thisis much more economical than using many big machines both from afinancial standpoint and from an ecological standpoint. Use of severalbig machines is more capital intensive, and also is less maneuverable inforest situations where there may be closely spaced timber. It iscontemplated that in an example embodiment, a universal device may beused and outfitted with a feller-buncher-cutter 300 and a chipper 140.In other embodiments, the understory and brush management system may bepermanently affixed to the boom and arm of the system 100.

Machinery described is intended to provide surgical like methods forselectively cutting, removing and reducing the size and small treesbrush and other nonmarketable words of forest is areas. Potentialend-users for this machine could be municipalities, developers, hobbyfarmers, and private landowners. This

In one embodiment the chipper 140 is scaled modified and is mounted atone end of the many excavator 110. In this embodiment, there is aninsufficient gallon per minute capacity produced by the excavator. Thechipper is powered by an engine attached to it and with the exception ofhookups for start and stop, throttle and clutch controls, is anindependent assembly from excavator platform.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specificdetails are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, theforegoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present inventionare presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatmany modifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention andvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of theinvention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

While the embodiments have been described in terms of several particularembodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, whichfall within the scope of these general concepts. It should also be notedthat there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods andapparatuses of the present embodiments. It is therefore intended thatthe following appended claims be interpreted as including all suchalterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the truespirit and scope of the described embodiments.

What is claimed:
 1. A brush management system comprising: afeller-buncher-cutter for cutting brush and moving cut material; and achipper for receiving the Brush material.